Diverticulosis Less Risky Than Previously Thought

(Ivanhoe Newswire) –Patients who have diverticulosis, pouches in the lining of the colon, often worry that they will eventually develop a painful and sometimes serious condition called diverticulitis. Previous research has shown that 25 percent of those with the condition will. However, now UCLA researchers have been able to prove that the risk is significantly lower.

In a 15-year study, researchers found that the progression from diverticulosis to diverticulitis is about one percent over seven years. They also revealed that those diagnosed with diverticulosis at a younger age are more likely to progress to diverticulitis.

“These colon pouches are commonly detected during colonoscopy, and patients wonder if they are important and what to do with them. In short, diverticulosis is not something to worry much about. Chances are low that something will happen,” study senior author Dr. Brennan Spiegel, an associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was quoted as saying.